title: High-protein diets and renal status in rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-protein (HP) diets might affect renal status. We aimed to examine the effects of a HP diet on plasma, urinary and morphological renal parameters in rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty Wistar rats were randomly distributed in 2 experimental groups with HP or normal-protein (NP) diets over 12 weeks.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Final body weight was a 10%lower in the HP group (p < 0.05) whereas we have not observed differences on food intake, carcass weight and muscle ashes content. No significant clear differences were observed on plasma parameters, whereas urinary citrate was an 88% lower in the HP group (p = 0.001) and urinary pH a 15% more acidic (p < 0.001). Kidney wet mass was ~22 heavier in the HP group (p < 0.001). Renal mesangium area was a 32% higher in the HP group (p < 0.01). Glomerular 1 and 2 were also ~30 higher in the HP diet (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively) and glomerular area a 13% higher (p < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  High-protein diet promoted a worse renal profile, especially on urinary and morphological markers, which could increase the risk for developing renal diseases in the long time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Sport Sciences and Institute of Nutrition and Food Technology, University of Granada, Spain. virginiaparicio@ugr.es
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Aparicio
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nebot
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: García-del Moral
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Machado-Vílchez
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Porres
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aranda
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001823:Body Composition; D001835:Body Weight / Q000502:physiology; D002951:Citrates / Q000652:urine; D004032:Diet; D004044:Dietary Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D002951:Citrates; D004044:Dietary Proteins